| Solea senegalensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Pleuronectiformes |
| Family: | Soleidae |
| Genus: | Solea |
| Species: | S. senegalensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Solea senegalensis Kaup, 1858 | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
Solea senegalensis, the Senegalese sole, is a species of flatfish from the family of the true soles, the Soleidae, from the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.
Solea senegalensis is very similar to the common sole and like it, it has a flattened, oval body with the dorsal fin starting on the upper profile of the head to the front of the upper eye. [3] The dorsal fin has 73–86 rays, the anal fin has 61–74 rays and there is a well developed pectoral fin on each side of its body which has 7–10 rays. There are numerous, small, hair like fringes on the blind side of the head and the distance between the upper eye and the dorsal profile of the head is obviously greater than the diameter of the eye. The anterior nostril on the blind-side is surrounded by a small ridge but it is not enlarged. [4] The caudal fin is attached to the last rays of the dorsal and anal fins by a narrow membrane. [2] The lateral line is made up of 120–138 pored scales. It is greyish brown in colour on the eyed side marked with numerous blue spots, the spots tend to disappear in dead specimens. The pectoral fin on the eyed side has a nearly black membrane contrasting with cream coloured fin rays while the caudal fin is plain. [3] The blind side is whitish. [2] The main identifying feature which separates this species from the common sole is the black colour of the membrane between the rays on the pectoral fin on its eyed-side whereas the common sole has a neat black spot close to the margin of the eyed side pectoral fin. [4] It grows to a standard length of 60 cm but is more usually 45 cm. [2]
Solea senegalensis occurs in the eastern Atlantic from southern Great Britain and Ireland, where it is rare, to Angola, including the Canary Islands. It entered the Mediterranean Sea via Gibraltar in the early 20th century, [5] fast expanded in the western Basin [6] as far east as northern Tunisia where it is an important resource and is now found in the Aegean Sea till the Sea of Marmara. [7]
Solea senegalensis is a demersal marine flatfish which occurs on sandy or muddy bottoms, these can be in varied habitats from brackish lagoons and shallow waters to coastal regions where the water can be 100 m in depth. The adults feed mainly on small benthic invertebrates, especially polychaetes and bivalves, with some small crustaceans. Females attain sexual maturity at around 3 years of age and a total length of 32 cm. Spawning takes place during the summer peaking in June around the Iberian Peninsula and in the Bay of Biscay when the water temperature is between 15 °C and 20 °C. [4]
Over much of its range S. senegalensis is sympatric with the rather similar common sole and has been considered a subspecies by some authors in the past, Solea vulgaris melanochira. [2] It is however more closely related to the east Mediterranean Egyptian sole ( Solea aegyptiaca ) than it is to the common sole, [6] and where these two species' ranges meet there is a hybrid zone, with hybrids being detected from the Gulf of Lions and the coats of Tunisia as demonstrated in the research of Dr. Khaled Ouanes. [8] S. senegalensis is thought to have invaded the Mediterranean from the eastern Atlantic through the Straits of Gibraltar, a phenomenon knows as Herculean migration after the Pillars of Hercules. [2]
In Europe both the common sole and the Senegalese sole are landed and marketed and there is little distinction made between them in statistics. There are, however, different geographical preferences with the common sole being preferred in northern Europe and the Senegalese sole being preferred in more southerly areas and these preferences are reflected in the higher market price for common sole in northern and western Europe while Senegalese sole is more valuable in southern Europe. [4] Off Mauritania there is an artisanal fishery for this species and the artisanal catch between 2006 and 2010 fluctuated between 117,328 kg to as low as 9,049 kg but information on fishing effort is lacking. [1] It is widely produced in extensive aquaculture in Portugal and Spain. [9]
The flesh is sold fresh, normally as fillets with smaller fillets going to domestic consumers and larger fillets to commercial markets such as hotels and restaurants. [4]
A flatfish is a member of the ray-finned demersal fish order Pleuronectiformes, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through or around the head during development. Some species face their left sides upward, some face their right sides upward, and others face either side upward.
The American soles are a family (Achiridae) of flatfish occurring in both freshwater and marine environments of the Americas. The family includes about 35 species in seven genera. These are closely related to the soles (Soleidae), and have been classified as a subfamily of it, but achirids have a number of distinct characteristics.
The true soles are a family, Soleidae, of flatfishes. It includes saltwater and brackish water species in the East Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and West and Central Pacific Ocean. Freshwater species are found in Africa, southern Asia, New Guinea, and Australia.
The European plaice, commonly referred to as simply plaice, is a species of marine flatfish in the genus Pleuronectes of the family Pleuronectidae.
Sole is a fish belonging to several families. Generally speaking, they are members of the family Soleidae, but, outside Europe, the name sole is also applied to various other similar flatfish, especially other members of the sole suborder Soleoidei as well as members of the flounder family. In European cookery, there are several species which may be considered true soles, but the common or Dover sole Solea solea, often simply called the sole, is the most esteemed and most widely available.
The common sole, Dover sole, or black sole is a species of flatfish in the family Soleidae. It is one of the largest fish in the Solea genus. It lives on the sandy or muddy seabed of the northern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea where it often partially immerses itself in the substrate. The upper side is greyish-brown while the underside is white. It grows to a maximum length of about 70 cm (28 in). The species is prized as a food fish, being caught mostly by trawling on the seabed.
The witch, known in English by a variety of other common names including the witch flounder, pole flounder, craig fluke, Torbay sole, and grey sole, is a species of flatfish from the family Pleuronectidae. It occurs on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean on muddy sea beds in quite deep water. In northern Europe it has some importance in fisheries as a food fish.
The European flounder is a flatfish of European coastal waters from the White Sea in the north to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in the south. It has been introduced into the United States and Canada accidentally through transport in ballast water. It is caught and used for human consumption.
The solenette or yellow sole, Buglossidium luteum, is a species of flatfish in the family Soleidae, and the only member of its genus. It is characterized by its small size, low-slung semi-circular mouth, and regularly placed dark fin rays. A common and widespread species, it is native to sandy bottoms in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is of little commercial value.
The rex sole is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. Locally, it may also be known as a witch or threadfin sole. It is a demersal fish that lives in temperate waters on sand or mud bottoms at depths of up to 900 metres (3,000 ft), though it is most commonly found between 61 and 500 metres. Its native habitat is the northern Pacific, from Baja California in Mexico up the coasts of the United States, British Columbia and Alaska, across the Bering Sea to the coast of Russia and the Sea of Japan. It is slow-growing, reaching up to 60 centimetres (24 in) in length, and it can weigh up to 2.0 kilograms (4.4 lb). Maximum reported lifespan is 24 years.
The Mediterranean scaldfish, also known as the scaldfish, is a species of benthic left eyed flatfish belonging to the family Bothidae. It is found in the eastern Atlantic of Europe and Africa as well as the Mediterranean, and is of minor interest to fisheries.
The wedge sole, is a flatfish of the family Soleidae. It is a bottom dwelling predatory fish inhabiting both sandy and muddy soils at depths between 10 and 450 m in the East Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. It achieves a maximum size of 30 cm (12 in).
Solea is a genus of soles from the Indo-Pacific and East Atlantic Oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea.
Zebrias is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Soleidae.
The Egyptian sole is a species of flatfish in the true sole family, Soleidae. It lives on the sandy or muddy seabed of the Mediterranean Sea, and is now colonising the Red Sea. It often semi-immerses itself in the substrate. The upper side is greyish-brown while the underside is white. It grows to a maximum length of about 70 cm (28 in). This fish is used for human consumption and is prized as a food fish. It is caught mostly by trawling on the seabed.
Jaydia smithi, Smith's cardinalfish, is a species of ray-finned fish from the Indian and Pacific Oceans, a member of the family Apogonidae. It has colonised the eastern Mediterranean Sea by way of the Suez Canal since 2007.
The thickback sole, also known as the bastard sole and lucky sole, is a species of flatfish from the family of true soles, the Soleidae. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, it is a quarry for fisheries in the Mediterranean.
Hemibdella soleae is a marine species of leech in the family Piscicolidae and the type taxon of its genus. Found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, it is a parasite of flatfish such as the common sole.
Dagetichthys lusitanicus, commonly known as the Portuguese sole, is a species of flatfish native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Little is known of the abundance or behaviour of this fish, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "data deficient".
Microchirus azevia, commonly known as the bastard sole, is a species of flatfish in the family Soleidae. It is found on the continental slope of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea at depths down to about 250 m (800 ft).
